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Switch your game on with O?Reilly?s Gamification by Design

Tim Gibbon (Elemental Communications) - 01 November 2011

Switch your game on with O?Reilly?s Gamification by Design
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Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps authored by Gabe Zichermann and Christopher Cunningham tackles the increasingly popular subject of gamification. It?s an area often misunderstood, and from we?ve what seen in a few magazines and across a few forums, it?s a topic that a few in the industry need to get their heads around. It?s a good job there?s this book published by O?Reilly, which sheds light and guides readers through the topic (gamification is the new buzzword on the street) that will continue to be a huge talking point throughout 2012.Gamification by Design image of the book

 

Great books need to be written by even better authors and this book offers two that have the right credentials. The first, Gabe Zichermann is an author, public speaker, serial entrepreneur, and the foremost expert on the subject of gamification. His book, Game-Based Marketing (Wiley, 4/2010) has achieved critical and industry acclaim for its detailed look at innovators who blend the power of games with brand strategy writes O?Reilly. Zichermann is also the author of the Gamification Blog at and chair of the Gamification Summit and Workshops.

Zichermann?s co-author, Christopher Cunningham is a software architect and developer who helped found ChroniQL, an early gamification solution; beamME, a mobile social application; and TrekMail, a breakthrough mobile email/text application. Christopher has deep expertise with agile development processes and distributed team management.


The book looks at how marketers can bring game mechanics to mobile apps and websites that engage consumers, building better relationships with brands increasing the potential for viral hooks. From Foursquare, Groupon, Nike+ and Zynga the book provides practical guidance in strategy, design and development of game concepts, which embrace social environments. As a greater understanding of gamification becomes apparent (with the help of books and advocates such as Cunningham and Zichermann), it will certainly have an impact on the way that marketers construct activity and campaigns, engaging with audiences. As highlighted by Zichermann, ?Gamification is fundamentally changing the way we design products, consumer interactions, and marketing strategies."

 

If you?re not in the know and want to be, or have some skills, but wish to up your game (pun intended), this may be the book for you.

Competition alert!

We?re giving you the chance to win one of 10 copies of Gamification by Design that we?re having on our stand (stand Social P12) at mediaPro. For a chance to win visit our O?Reilly mediaPro book competition.

We?ll be reviewing the book when we grab some time after mediaPro. In the meantime, read more about the book in the O?Reilly press centre.

Not one for competitions and want to get your hand on the goods now? Gamification by Design can be purchased directly from O?Reilly?s online shop or on Amazon.


You can follow O?Reiily on Twitter @oreillymedia and Like at Facebook for more educational goodies.

This atricle first appeared at the Elemental blog.



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